Pecan Pie

Southern Pecan Pie

Recipe by Aunt Sandy

Ingredients

1-3 pie crusts (I use Pillsbury)

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

½ tablespoon all purpose syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 cups pecan halves

Whipped cream for topping

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl, beat eggs well with a beater or electric mixer. Add sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt and vanilla. Beat well until combined. Stir in butter and pecans mixing thoroughly. Scrape into 1 unbaked pie shell. Bake 50 minutes or until filling is set in the center.

Melt chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of canola in the microwave in a glass bowl (30 seconds, stir, 15 seconds, stir, continue in 15 second intervals until smooth). Drizzle over the top of pie. Cool pie completely on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream.

Mini Pie Directions

This recipe will make 18 mini pecan pies. You will need 3 pie crusts. Spray muffin tins with Pam. Roll out dough. Use an extra large cup, bowl or lid to cut out circles of dough. Gently press dough into muffin tin. Fill with pie filling ¾ of the cup.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until filling is set in the center. Melt chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of canola in the microwave in a glass bowl (30 seconds, stir, 15 seconds, stir, continue in 15 second intervals until smooth). Drizzle over the top of pie. Cool pie completely on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream.

Click here to print the recipe

Apple Pie (Quick & Easy)

This is a simple, yet delicious recipe for apple pie. 

Apple Pie

recipe by Allrecipes

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.  Stir in cinnamon.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Gently pour 1/2 the sugar and butter liquid over the apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the remaining 1/2 sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

This is a great recipe from Pampered Chef. 

Apple Danish Braid

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 TBS. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended. Add egg mixing until smooth.
3. Unroll 1 pkg. of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" rectangle baking stone or cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pkg. of dough. Roll dough to seal perforations.
4. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1-1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling).
5. Spread half of cream cheese mixture evenly over middle of dough.
6. Peel, core and slice apples. Cut slices crosswise in half; evenly arrange apple slices over cream cheese mixture.
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
8. Scoop remaining cream cheese mixture over apples; sprinkle with pecans.
9. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid.
10. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Cut & serve.

Note: I halved this recipe in the picture above.

Click here to print this recipe.

Cookie Powered Sugar Icing

This is my go to icing for sugar cookies. 

 

Cookie Corn Syrup Glaze

Recipe by Sweet Hope Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pound box of powdered sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

a scant 1/4 cup water (scant means “just less than”)

2 teaspoons more or less of extract, flavoring, or emulsion depending on the flavor and your preference. I use ½ t vanilla extract and 1 ½ t almond extract.

Coloring gel. I primarily use Americolor.

Directions:

Pour the powdered sugar into your standing mixer bowl. Don’t bother to sift the sugar. If you don’t have a standing mixer use a big bowl and electric hand mixer. If you don’t have an electric hand mixer use a heavy wooden spoon and those lean muscled arms of yours.

Add corn syrup, flavorings, and water.

Using the beater blade attachment (not the whisk) mix the ingredients until smooth on the lowest setting for at least one minute. Add additional water a half to one teaspoon at a time until the glaze has reached the consistency you want.

The consistency of icing is often described as being a specific second count, meaning the number of seconds it takes from the time you run a knife through the top of the icing until the trail the knife made on the surface disappears. Because the color gel remains to be added which will thin the icing to varying degrees depending on how much color you add, I typically aim for a 15-18 second count as I would rather add a little more water to thin than add additional powdered sugar to thicken after the gel has been added.

Before dividing and coloring the icing I mix a couple drops of white gel into the entire batch. Just a little white gel rounds out any other color you’ll add later.

Now divide the icing into as many containers as you need colors and cover with air tight lids. Color one container of icing at a time, adding the coloring gel drop by drop. Keep in mind that the colors will darken slightly over the next 24 hours and when they dry on the cookies.

When you have the desired color, check your second count again. I go for a 15-18 count for writing and detailing and 10-12 for outlining and flooding.

You can use the glaze right away but I suggest waiting for at least an hour, allowing time for some of the air bubbles to come to the surface which can then be gently stirred down before pouring into piping bags or bottles. This waiting time will reduce the amount of bubbles that show up when flooding the cookies. I normally make my icing 1 day before using it which allows it to rest.

Click here to print this recipe.

Flat Apple Pie

We watched Pioneer Woman whipped up these flat apple pies on her new cooking show yesterday.  They looked so good we decided to make them.  We served them after dinner.  Everyone agreed these were fantastic.

 

Flat Apple Pie

recipe by the Pioneer Women (slightly adapted)

Ingredients

• 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
• 6 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour, salt and lemon juice. Set aside and see how long you can keep from sneaking a slice of apple.

With a rolling pin, begin rolling out the Perfect Pie Crusts into large circles. Roll the dough from the center outward. Be gentle and patient, it'll take a little time to get the dough completely rolled out.

If you think the bottom is really sticking to the surface below, use a nice, sharp spatula to loosen the dough and sprinkle some extra flour on top. Then flip it over to finish rolling. Remember to roll from the center in single, outward strokes, no back-and-forth rolling.

Again with a spatula, loosen and lift the dough and carefully place the circles on large baking sheets.

Place half the apple mixture on one crust and the other half on the other crust. Fold over the edges of each crust so that it covers 2 to 3 inches of the apple mixture. No need to be artistic - the more rustic the better. Dot the tops of the pies with chunks of the butter.

Bake until the filling is golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. If the crust appears to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminium foil for the remaining baking time.

Allow to cool slightly, then slice into wedges with a pizza cutter. Eat 'em on the go!

 

Perfect Pie Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks cold butter
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add in the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, gradually work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 or 4 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then add it to the mixture. Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it's just combined, and then remove half the dough from the bowl. Yield: dough for 2 crusts.

 

Caramel Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1/2 cup Half-and-half
• Pinch Of Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half & half, and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thicker. Add vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Remove from heat and drizzle over pie.  We drizzled over the individual pie pieces as opposed to the whole pie.

Enjoy! 

 

Click here to print this recipe!

Brownies

This brownie recipe is almost as simple as a box brownie mix to make but its taste so much better!  I love the texture and most of all the flavor.  Everyone in the my family loves them! 

Brownies

recipe by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Click here to print this recipe!

Chip Chocolate Bundt Cake

My sweet scrapbooking friend baked this delicious cake.  The girls raved about it.  You have to try this cake.  You won’t be sorry.

 

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Recipe by Melinda Reeves

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Semi sweet chocolate, grated

Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.

2. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.

3. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and grate semi sweet chocolate over the cake.

Click here to print this recipe.

Peach Cobbler

Recipe by Taylor Steele

Ingredients

2 cans Sliced Peaches

1 can Sliced Peaches, drained

Cinnamon

Yellow Cake Mix

½ cup Butter

Brown Sugar

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place peaches in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pour cake mix in a separate bowl. Cut butter into cake mix. Sprinkle mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle cobbler with brown sugar.

Bake for 30 - 45 minutes until brown.

Enjoy!

Gold Medal Dessert

My Aunt Sue made this dessert years ago and I fell in love with its cool creamy texture.  I typically made this dessert in the Summer but it can be served anytime of the year. 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine pecans, flour, and butter. Press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine milk, chocolate pudding mix, and vanilla pudding mix. Beat until thick. Pour over cream cheese layer.

Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Grate Hershey’s bar over the top of the dessert.

Gold Medal Dessert

Recipe by my Aunt Sue

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter, softened

 

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed, divided

 

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix

 

• 1 Hershey’s bar milk chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine pecans, flour, and butter. Press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the Cool Whip. Spread on top of cooled crust.
3. In a large bowl, combine milk, chocolate pudding mix, and vanilla pudding mix. Beat until thick. Pour over cream cheese layer.
4. Top with remaining Cool Whip.
5. Grate Hershey’s bar over the top of the dessert.
6. Chill for several hours then serve.

Enjoy!

Cut-out Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe. 

 

Rolled Sugar Cookies

by Glorious Treats

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
Parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  This should take about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so.

Add the flour mixture slowly.  (Be careful not to add too much at a time or you will have a snowstorm of flour.)

Blend until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a piece of parchment paper. 
Using your hands, knead the dough a few times.

Place the dough in a large plastic (ziplock type) bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  If you want to speed up the chilling process, place the bag of dough in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Just don't forget it in the freezer, or it will become to firm to work with (and then you'll have to wait for it to thaw). 

When it's almost time to remove the dough from the refrigerator (or freezer), preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). When the dough has chilled and is firm, take out about half of the dough, leaving the rest in the refrigerator (until your ready to work with it). 

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll out the dough to about 1/3 of an inch thick. 

Place cookie shapes on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure to only put cookies of similar size on each bake sheet.  If you try to bake smaller cookies with larger ones the small ones will be over done before the large ones are baked. 

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie.  Bake until they are just barely beginning to take on a golden tone.  They will continue to bake as long as then are on the pan, so don't let then get too brown.  Cool for just a minute or so on the pan, then carefully remove cookies from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Once cooled, the cookies can be decorated with frosting, royal icing or rolled fondant.

This recipe yields about 30, 2 1/2 inch cookies or 16, 3 1/2 inch cookies.

Here are a few shots of the process:

I

I have been learning how to decorate sugar cookies.  Its so much fun. 

 

My little helper. 

Make sure to check out Glorious Treats blog.  She has great recipes and tips.

I also recommend University of Cookie for great cookie making/decorating videos.  There is also a list of cookie websites for lots of inspiration.  My current favorite is Sweet Sugar Belle.  Her work is beautiful!

 

This a simple easy candy to make as gifts during the Holidays.  Its a popular recipe on the internet.  Here is the recipe I use. 

Rolo Pretzel Turtles

recipe by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 20 small mini pretzels (I prefer the Synders butter squares)
• 20 chocolate covered caramel candies (i.e. Rolos)
• 20 pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy
4. Cool and enjoy!

I made three pecan pies using this recipe for Thanksgiving.  This is a delicious pecan pie.  Most importantly, the pie set perfectly every time. 

Pecan Pie

Recipe by Mommy’s Kitchen

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 9-inch deep dish pie shell (unbaked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream (mix) the sugar and butter well in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Add syrup, salt, and vanilla. Mix again.

Add eggs one at a time and mix after each.

Stir in pecans.

Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust.

Bake in preheated oven until top is brown and pie set about 45 minutes. A toothpick stuck in center of pie should come out almost dry.

Enjoy!

*Tip: Be sure to mix ingredients well. Otherwise the pie may not set up. You can use chopped pecans or whole. Store in the refrigerator. May be reheated in microwave before serving (about 15 sec).

S’mores Bars

I have been in the mood for Smores ever since I saw the August issue of Everday Food.

 

But here is the deal.  I don’t have a campfire handy.  So I started looking for alternatives. I found recipes for S’mores Bars.  Score.  They turned out good.  Avery and I loved them.  Josh still prefers the real deal.  So make a batch and let me know what you think.  Its super simple and doesn’t require a campfire.

Let’s get started…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows.

Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows and press down with a spatula.

 

Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!

S’mores Bars

recipe by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated. Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows and press down with a spatula.
3. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Apple Crisp

Quick Apple Crisp
recipe by Pampered Chef
5 Granny Smith apples (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream or thawed, frozen whipped topping (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel, core and slice apples. Cut apples in half crosswise. Place apples in a deep dish baker.
2. Microwave butter on HIGH 60 seconds or until melted. Chop nuts. Add nuts, cake mix, butter, sugar and cinnamon to bowl; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.
3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream, or whipped topping, if desired.

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Oh how I love a good strawberry cake.  All kinds (except for the bad kind).  I tried a new recipe this weekend.  Wow, it was great.  It screams summer.

Let me tell you about a cookbook I invested in a few years ago.  I have used it time and time again.  The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook by Anne Byrn.  I know what you are thinking, she is using cake mixes.  Don’t judge me, just try it.  Then you will love me.  I also own the Chocalate from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook which I would recommend as well.  Without further ado, let me introduce you to my favorite strawberry cake.

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor

Cake

Shortening & Flour

1 package white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines French Vanilla)

1 small package strawberry jello (3 ounces)

4 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

½ cup sugar plus a sprinkle for strawberries

½ cup milk

4 large eggs

½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice

Buttercream Frosting

1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter

6 cups powdered sugar

¾ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries and juice

1 cup halved fresh strawberries, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Finely chopped strawberries and place in a small bowl.  You will need 1 1/4 cups divided.  Add a sprinkle of sugar and stir.  Set aside. 

Lightly grease three 9 inch round cake pans with shortening. I use a paper towel to rub a small amount (maybe 1/2 tablespoon) of shortening on the pan.  Lightly coat all sides and bottom of pan.  Then sprinkle flour in the greased pans coating all sides and bottom. Shake and tap out excess flour.

Place cake mix, jello, flour, oil, sugar, milk, eggs, and strawberries with juice in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides. Beat mix on medium for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides.

Divide the batter among 3 cake pans. Bake all three pans on the center rack for 33 – 35 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back when lightly pressed. Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then run a butter knife along the sides of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Gently invert cake into hand and place on rack. Cool completely. About 30 minutes.

To prepare the frosting, place softened butter in the mixing bowl. Beat on low until fluffy (about 20 seconds). Stop the mixer. Add powdered sugar and chopped strawberries with juice. Mix on low speed until frosting is fluffy and creamy. If too thin, add a little powdered sugar. If too thick add a little milk or water.

Place one cake layer right side up on a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Add another layer, right side up. Frost the top. Add third layer right side up. Frost the sides then the top. Add halved strawberries for garnish. Chill the cake then serve if you can’t wait.  Otherwise dig in. 

Easter Favorites

I wanted to prepare a nontraditional dinner for Easter.  I made fajitas and all the fixins.  I didn’t get pictures of everything but it was all delicious trust me.  This is one of my favorite menus. 

Here was the menu…

Seven Layer Dip

Chili con Carne

Beef & Chicken Fajitas served with fresh pico, guacamole, homemade salsa, sour cream and cheese

Refried Beans and Mexican Rice

Strawberry Shortcake

Seven Layer Dip

recipe by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 can Refried Beans
• Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
• 1 can Diced Green Chilies
• Ground Cumin, to taste
• ¾ cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Guacamole
• ¾ cups Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 can Black Olives
• 1 cup Pico De Gallo

Preparation Instructions

Begin by throwing the refried beans into a small pan over medium-low heat. Add several dashes of Tabasco sauce and a small can of (undrained) diced green chilies. Stir well. Next, sprinkle a little bit of ground Cumin.

Spread the beans on the bottom of a glass bowl or high-sided dish. Over this sprinkle the sharp cheddar. Next, plop your sour cream. And spread it into a single layer, being careful not to disturb the cheese underneath.

The next layer is the guacamole. Spread it over the sour cream. Follow this with a layer of Monterey Jack Cheese and a nice sprinkling of chopped black olives. Lastly, place a generous layer of Pico de Gallo. You can also, if you have the gumption for it, sprinkle some diced jalapenos over top.

Enjoy!

Chili Con Carne

recipe by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 32 ounces, weight Velveeta Cheese Loaf
• 10 ounces, weight Rotel
• 1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Premium Pork Sausage
• 7 ounces, weight Chopped Green Chilies
• 1 whole Yellow Onion
• 1 whole Jalapeno, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

Dice the onion. Using a nonstick sprayed skillet, cook sausage and onions until brown, stirring occasionally. Once browned, drain some of the fat from the skillet.

Cube Velveeta loaf. Add cubes to browned sausage and onion mixture. Add can of Rotel (juice and all), can of green chilies (juice and all), and stir over low heat.

Cut the top and bottom off the jalapeño, slice into matchsticks, then rotate and slice to create a fine dice. (For a spicy version, leave seeds and white membranes. For a milder option, remove them.) Add to queso and stir.

Serving tip: Use a fondue pot or crock pot to serve piping hot!

Chicken Fajitas

recipe by Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Dash hot sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds meat (boneless, skinless chicken breast, skirt steak or peeled and deveined shrimp)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 lime, juiced, for topping
Sour cream, for topping
Salsa, for topping
Guacamole, for topping
Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

Directions

In a heavy duty resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper and your choice of meat. Seal and toss the bag around to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator. *Cook’s Note: 15 minutes for shrimp, 20 minutes for chicken and 1 hour for skirt steak.

Preheat your cast iron servers in a preheated 400 degree F oven for at least 20 minutes, to get a good sizzle when you plate the fajitas.

Heat the outside grill or a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the hot grill, discard the marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, skirt steak about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare and about 2 minutes for shrimp. Slice the chicken and steak into strips if you are using.

In a large skillet heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender with some salt and pepper.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven with the servers for 15 minutes.

When you are ready to serve, remove the cast iron servers from the oven and quickly arrange the meat and peppers and onions on it. It will immediately start to sizzle from their fat and moisture. Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.

Pico de Gallo & Guacamole

recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman 

Ingredients

• FOR THE PICO DE GALLO:
• 5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes
• ½ whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion
• 3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
• Salt To Taste
• FOR THE GUACAMOLE:
• 3 whole Avacados
• Pico De Gallo
• Couple shakes of cumin
• Lime Juice
• Salt To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Pico de Gallo
Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

Guacamole
Start with buttery-soft avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits. Next, with a spoon scrape the “meat” out onto a large plate. Next, with the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork) mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky. Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste. Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo.  Add cumin.  Fold together. Lastly squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top. Give it one last stir.

 

Mexican Rice

recipe by Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 cup long grain white rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cube chicken bouillon

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, halved

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and diced tomato.

Season with bouillon cube, salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

Pound cake

2 quarts of strawberries

3 T sugar

1 pint heavy cream

4 T powered sugar

1 t vanilla

Directions

Prepare cake and let cool to the touch.

Wash and slice the strawberries.  Place strawberries in bowl.  Add sugar and toss to coat.  Cover and place strawberries in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Place heavy cream, powered sugar and vanilla in your mixing bowl.  Mix on low speed until combined, then mix on medium high until soft peaks form.  When you remove the beater, the cream should stick to the beater.  Be careful not to overmix.  Place in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve, place a slice of cake on a plate.  Top with a large dollop of whipped cream.  Add strawberries. 

Enjoy!

Apple Cake

I make this cake a few times in the Fall each year.  It is one of Josh’s and my mother’s favorite cakes I bake.  It makes the house smell utterly divine.  I use Paula Deen’s recipe.

Grandgirl’s Apple Cake

Cake:
Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a bundt cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter. The batter will be thick!  The first time I made this recipe I thought I had done something wrong because the batter was so thick.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Its a Paula Deen recipe.  There is always a stick of butter.

Stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. 

Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.   

Enjoy!

Here is a our Fall corner of the house.  I had the girls pictures professionally taken a few years ago.  I pull them out each year around Halloween and just love looking at them.